Burning Letters
by Colormysoultraurig
Summary: Soul marks, destiny marks, engravings, whatever you wanted to call them, were terrible. Only those the universe deemed right got them and others didn't. VL engraved on his left hip breaking him down little by little every day. FPJ accompanied by the Roman numeral three seared into her skin. Jeronica Soulmate AU
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a preview chapter and I have almost 12 thousand words written for the rest (and I'm not done).**

 **Also, you can read this on AO3 _/works/16028114_**

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Soul marks, destiny marks, engravings, whatever you wanted to call them, were terrible. Only those the universe deemed right got them and others didn't. It was way more common for everyone to walk around never having one their whole life than to find someone with one.

It had taken many long years for scientists to figure out what they were exactly, having only a small amount of people with them. They still weren't sure why some got them and some didn't but they just chalked it up to the universe and moved on. No more research, no more studying, just done.

That's why Jughead hates his. He didn't know why he had it and he didn't even know someone with the damn initials and it killed him. Why did he have to be even more of an outcast?

 _ **VL**_ engraved on his left hip breaking him down little by little every day.

Every time he's alone he can feel it burning through him, tearing his skin apart from the inside. He didn't know who it was and didn't much care. That was until the summer the town went to hell.

Jason was murdered and right before school started up again Veronica Lodge came to town.

He knew her name before he knew her. Archie was madly in love with the new girl and with their freshly renewed friendship, he heard all about it. The moment her name flowed through his lips Jughead knew to his core that she was the **VL** in his skin. He didn't tell Archie. Archie didn't even know he had one in the first place.

Veronica loved the idea of a soul mark but didn't actually like having one. She lived in New York and knew so many people yet not a single one had the damn initials engraved in her memory and skin.

It was relatively easy to hide hers considering just wearing a bra could hide it most days. Most girls got tattoos on their chest to be cute and artsy but Veronica was born with one she never wanted to show.

 **FPJ** accompanied by the Roman numeral three was seared into her for life. She did so much research about it and no one had ever had so many letters let alone the numbers.

Eventually, after many years she hid it away and never told anyone about it because she was so ashamed of it, thinking it was messed up. That somehow the universe decided to say 'screw you haha you got the fucked up mark' right in her face.

Then she moved. She thought maybe in Riverdale things could be different. That maybe she could show it off because she knew for a fact the small towns never got people with marks. She "knew" wrong.

Her first day she decided that she wouldn't ever tell. She talked with Archie and Betty. Betty was so madly in love with Archie and he didn't even notice her but couldn't take his eyes off Veronica. Right then she decided that a place like Riverdale wouldn't be a good place to tell people because their love seemed all messed up. The longer she stayed the more she realized everything was messed up.

She felt like she had met every stinking person in Riverdale yet not a single person had the damn initials. No the thirds. No Franks. No Johnsons.

She realized she'd either have to move again or never meet her soulmate which wasn't very common. One in a hundred of those who got the marks and only one in every five hundred thousand got them. That's why small towns never really got them. Not enough population.

She had just all about given up when she met Jughead.

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 **Please tell me if you like it and if it is worth continuing (which I already have)**  
 **P.S. the rest is written so much better than this part.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I just wanted to point out that this is canon-based but because canonly they are so young I'm gonna say this is more when they're seniors.**

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Jughead had agreed to go to Pops with Archie after the game. He hadn't planned on seeing her there. Hadn't planned on seeing anyone there really. But there she was anyway. He stopped for a moment just staring because he just knew that it had to be her from all the rambling Archie did just on the way to the diner.

They got invited over and Jughead wouldn't pass up free food and Archie apparently couldn't talk so he took charge.

Archie sat with Betty which left him to sit beside Veronica. One bright side was he'd know it was really her when he sat down and not just have to assume.

"Veronica Lodge" flowed from her lips. He could feel his mark burning at the words.

"Jughead Jones the third." He smiled at her. He knew damn well that his real name was a completely different letter but he believes if she had a mark she'd figure it out.

A slight reaction infected her face but was gone in a second.

"Jughead Jones the third?" He got that question way too often.

She'd seen him staring from the doorway and immediately felt something change but she didn't know what. She had never seen him before in her life.

Betty obviously knew him and eventually, they somehow ended up at their table. Before she knew what was happening he was jumping over the back of the booth to sit next to her.

She could have sworn she saw something pass through his face when she said her name but nothing was there when she looked back.

"Jughead Jones the third." She almost fell right over. The first person to ever have a third and he also just so happens to have the J but then it hit her, it wasn't JJ on her body it was FPJ and so her moment was lost. She fixed her features and tried not to look at him much hoping he didn't see anything.

She focused everything she had on Archie. Not just that night at pops but even after when they started dating. She knew for a fact that he wasn't FPJ the third but she really did love him and it was cool to have a relationship here or there before meeting your soulmate.

Most people with soul marks met their soulmate before the age of twenty so she had some time but not as much as others presumably had. She had college, (Riverdale shared their community college with Greendale, something like Green River community college or something equally stupid) so she didn't stress too much.

Archie and Veronica had been together for a long time for high schoolers. She was so happy that her mark was easy to hide in most times because Archie was not the type to stay with someone with a soul mark if it wasn't his initials on them. When she did have times where it would be seen she used makeup and poor lighting to her advantage, the fact that Archie was oblivious to most around him didn't hurt either. She hated but loved how easy it was to lie and pretend.

Jughead knew for a fact it was Veronica that he was supposed to be with but he hated her with almost every fiber of his being. She was rich, and stuck up, and thought that she was better than everyone and it gave her a pass to do as she pleased. But he couldn't help but think about her day and night always hyper-aware of his mark.

He kissed Betty to see if he could forget about Veronica just like she obviously forgot about him. It worked. She was beautiful, and kind, and it made him happy. Eventually, he began to love her.

There was really only once that they did anything where it could be seen and she never once looked down far enough to see it. On some level he was relieved but mostly he didn't care if she had seen it. It would be freeing for someone to finally know about it other than his parents.

Veronica loved Archie but she knew deep down that eventually she'd have to break his heart and leave him alone in Riverdale while she moved on with someone new.

She felt it in her core when she thought about her mark. She knew she was going to meet them that she wasn't going to be the 1 in a million person. She was determined but while she waited she wanted to distract herself with Archie the sweet small town red head that loved her as much as she loved him, probably more. She was happy.

She was happy. Until Betty dropped a bomb.

They walked in the halls together never really paying attention to the world, Veronica never really paying attention to Betty's words. But it stuck out like the universe needed her to hear those words. They were the only ones she heard from all of Betty's rambling.

"...Forsythe Pendleton Jones..." the words burned in her brain and she could feel the flames in her chest right where she knew the letters resided.

She stopped dead in her tracks grabbing Betty by the arm effectively dragging her back to her side.

"What did you just say!?" She practically screamed it but managed to do a much more even tone.

"Jughead's real name is Forsythe Pendleton Jones. Why what's so important about it?" Betty was so innocent and her best friend and the girlfriend of the man she was supposed to marry, or at least be with until one dies. Death was more likely.

"Nothing it's just... really funny that's all." She continued to walk forward with Betty at her side every step of the way. She never took her eyes off Jughead who was down the hall talking to her boyfriend who was also his best friend. God, they were screwed.

Jughead felt it. He knew the exact moment she found out. He looked up seeing her stock still at the other end of the hall staring straight at him like he was the only person she could see (definitely not like they were the only ones in the room because that shits way to damn cliché for Jughead).

His mark burned that familiar pain whenever she was involved. He stuffed his hand in his pocket pushing the heel of his hand into his hip to make it all stop.

He had no idea what to do now that she knew. When it was only him he could pretend that it wasn't real that everything about the marks was fake and he didn't really have one. He couldn't do that anymore. Never again.

He could tell she didn't tell Betty and he was equally disappointed as he was relieved. He loved Betty and he never wanted to hurt her ever but he needed something to change so he didn't feel too alone. In a room full of people who love and care for him he felt like he was behind a glass wall no one else could see but could feel all the same.

Veronica knew she needed to talk to him fast. She needed to talk before all four hung out that night at pops like they do almost every night. She needed it off her chest.

She slipped a note into his desk as she passed it telling him to meet her in the empty classroom after class. No more information as to scare him. She needed to know.

She never saw him leave class but he was no longer there when she left and she hoped he wouldn't just leave her.

She walked into the room and he was already there sitting on one of the desk, not the chair and she scoffed immediately.

"So you found out?" He spit it out before she could even speak.

All she did was nod. It's all she could manage. He hopped off the desk and walked closer to her but not close enough to touch. She felt disappointed deep inside.

He reaches his hand to his left side peeking down the waistband if his jeans revealing the VL plastered on his skin. No words were spoken.

She followed suit slightly, reluctantly, scared of showing someone her mark for the first time. Still no words as she pulled her shirt back down running her hands over it to smooth it down, glad she didn't wear the dress she had originally picked out.

"What now?" She found her words.

"Nothing." And with that, he walked out of the room careful to never touch her as he passed.

She stood in that room staring at the wall for a long time until the bell brought her out of her trance. She smoothed her hair down to gain control before heading out herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Jughead had left the classroom completely disoriented. It was the only time that he had ever talked about his soul mark. At least to someone without a blood relation. It was terrifying to know that someone else in the world knew about it and even more terrifying to know that they were the one seared into his skin.

As he passed the doors to the school he contemplated just walking right out. Disappearing to let it all settle before making a dramatic return days later acting like nothing happened like he wasn't missing for days on end or the fact that he was supposed to marry his girlfriend's best friend and his best friends, girlfriend.

He eventually sucked it up and walked into class late getting weird stares or glares and a worried glance from betty. He really didn't wanna deal with her just yet. He spent all class thinking about a raven-haired beauty he knew was just a couple doors down.

The cold air hit Veronica like a wall as the doors to the school opened leading to the winter season in Riverdale. The moment her lungs filled with the cold she dreaded where she knew she was headed. Pops was only a short walk away from the school where she had to meet her boyfriend, best friend, and soulmate, three completely different people.

She tried to use the short walk to think of how to act with her newfound knowledge but couldn't ever think of anything productive. Before she knew it she was in front of the neon red lights practically mocking her. She kept hearing the lights whisper in her ear, laughing at her failure. She'd finally done the one thing she'd wanted all her life. Found her soulmate. And he didn't want anything to do with her.

She was earlier than the rest so she headed over to the counter completely content on nursing a milkshake until the others arrived. It wasn't too long after she got her shake that the others walked in.

"Hey, Veronica! How did you get here so fast?" Betty chipper voice ripped her out of her thoughts.

"I uhh just needed a second." she looked at Jughead for just a second, nothing more but enough to get her message across. "Last class was not good for my frustration." She gave a fake smile before hopping off the stool and following the others shake in hand.

The girls sat against the window with their respective partner's mere inches away.

Betty's voice had filled much of the void along with Archie's. Jughead only added a quip here and there while Veronica had yet to utter a single word since they sat down.

Jughead could feel Veronica's gaze on him every time he looked away, call it soulmates intuition, and it sucked. Every time he looked back to her her eyes were glued to something out the window, soulmates intuition he guessed because it seemed as if she knew he'd be looking.

It was the 7th time (yes he had been counting) he felt her gaze on him but this time he made eye contact, short but sweet. She abruptly tore her eyes away back out the window. His gaze was still on her when Betty started talking again this time directly at Veronica for the first time.

"Are you okay Veronica? You seem distant." She was genuine and Jughead would have thought it was cute if he wasn't consumed by all things Veronica. Just then her eyes caught Jughead's for the second time that night right as she spoke.

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?" it was almost as if she was directing the question at Jughead, daring him to say it.

It was the last straw and he knew if he didn't leave he would ruin it all. So he left. He walked to the bathroom of the diner just to get his thoughts together and away from Veronica.

Veronica watched, her hands under the table, as Jughead left, not sure what else to do. As soon as she heard the door close she caught Archie's eye.

"I think I have to go. I have to get home early today. Family drama." She lied.

"I'll walk you home!" Archie said excitedly already out of the seat. Veronica laid her hand on his shoulder.

"No, stay here with your friends. I can walk myself home. I'll be fine." She smiled walking to the door. "See you guys tomorrow." She didn't look back after closing the door. She just needed to get home and forget about her newfound soulmate.

Jughead came back from the bathroom not too long after Veronica left to see Archie and Betty talking. He stayed back just watching his girlfriend light up as she spoke and he was reminded of why he loved her and why he needed to keep Veronica out of his mind.

Eventually, he noticed her beckoning him over with her hand. The three friends from ages ago fell into a steady rhythm of conversation until it started getting dark and Archie said he had to go home. Not much later Jughead found himself walking Betty home.

"What do you think got Veronica so upset today?" Betty asked like it wasn't a question that could ruin everything, never once taking her eyes off the road.

"Little miss princess probably didn't get the thousand dollar handbag she wanted…" he said it with a laugh.

"Oh come on, be nice Juggy…" Betty looked out of the counter of her eye at him to say I mean it.

"That is me being nice." It was abrupt but one hundred percent true.

He stood on her porch saying goodnight trying to get some sense of normalcy they once had just one day earlier. He gave her a goodbye kiss and started on his trek home.

Halfway to his trailer, he got a text. His first thought was it was Betty and that genuinely made him smile but when he opened it it was Veronica on his screen.

He turned around and made the way to Veronica's place as per her request. It didn't take long before he was right in front of her building.

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 **I hope y'all are still liking it and if there is anything you wanna see just let me know.**

 **(I already have 10 chapter written so it may not happen right away or fit but ill try my best)**


	4. Chapter 4

Veronica sat at home paseing her room. She regretted texting jughead the minute she did it but knew there was no way to take it back.

After ten minutes she began to calm down thinking he wouldn't ever show up. There was no response. Why would Jughead ever want to talk to her anyway, he hated her and she hated him. She just needed answers.

She was getting ready to go to sleep when the doorbell rang. Her whole body went stock still at the noise. It took her body a minute to catch up and be able to move again.

She checked her hair and makeup before opening the door (gotta keep up her image).

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Jughead stood in front of the Pembroke, staring at bricks in front of him. It seemed bigger, more ominous, the longer he looked. When he couldn't take it any longer he walked through the doors.

He wasn't immediately greeted by Veronica, and even though, logically, he knew she wouldn't be there, he couldn't help but be slightly disappointed. He walked straight on through the lobby to find her apartment by himself.

The building was empty and eerily quiet. Smithers must have left. He found 305 quickly for never having been there before and rang the bell. He stood outside the door pulling himself together. Putting on a mask of calm.

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She opened the door to see a smiling, smirking, Jughead on the other side. He decided to show. She just stepped out of the doorway extending an arm as if to say come in, stay a while. He did just that.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked already walking to the kitchen.

"Sure." He said while staring at all the different, expensive, things she had.

Just minutes later Jughead sat on one side of her island while she stood at the other. She leaned on her elbows keeping the coffee close to her face. The fumes kept her awake and concentrated. The silence drove on and on neither one of them saying a word since he walked in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked suddenly. She looked at him with vulnerability.

"Because I hate you." It was simple. He said it like he told her it was raining or that he wore a damn crown beanie. It was the only answer she ever could have expected and she knew what it was but still, she couldn't help but feel hurt by the lack of emotion he put in his answer.

"If you hate me so much why did you come?" she whispered barely loud enough for herself to hear. But he heard.

"Because…" he hesitated and for some odd reason, it gave her heart hope, for what, she didn't know. "I had nothing better to do." He looked up at her just to punch it in, just to say I'm not here for you.

"Jughead we have to talk about it. We have to do something." damn was she glad it was dark in her kitchen so he couldn't see the redness in her eyes.

"Do we Veronica? I don't see anything we need to talk about. I don't love you, hell I don't even like you." his voice gradually got louder the longer he talked.

"I'm not saying I love you either but don't you think we should tell Archie and Betty? Don't they deserve to know?" she was trying to keep calm but she could feel the tears in her eyes threatening to drop.

"Why hurt them?" he said bluntly.

"Don't you think it will hurt them more if they find out later because they see our marks?" it was Veronica's turn to get loud.

"You've been hiding yours pretty well haven't you? I hear all about your little activities but never once have I heard about the soul mark you don on your chest." He sounded hurt, jealous but she knew that wasn't possible. He hated her. "Just forget it okay?" he stood up off the chair and started towards the door. "If they ask just tell them you didn't think it was important because you love them." and with that, he walked out the door.

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Weeks had gone by and neither person had talked to the other. No one had sensed that anything changed between them.

Jughead sat in a booth at pops next to the beautiful Betty Cooper staring into the face of Archie Andrews on the other side of the booth. Archie had spent the better part of an hour talking about how distant Veronica had been. It took a lot of effort on Jughead's part not to burst out laughing at some of the theories he had.

"Maybe she's waiting for you to say or notice something. Have you forgotten anything lately?" Betty asked trying to help out a friend. "Oh my gosh wouldn't it be so cute if you guys were soulmate!" Betty practically screamed. That time Jughead couldn't hold it in. Jughead physically laughed out loud at the sheer idiocracy of it.

"What?" Archie looked at him worried.

"Nothing it's just don't you think you would have noticed your mark before? Or even a mark on her for that matter?" Jughead was trying to help a friend out. He didn't wanna see him hurt.

"What if it's somewhere I can't see it? And what if it's somewhere on her that I hadn't noticed?" he sounded serious and that worried Jughead a little.

"Look from what you've told me you would have noticed it on her." That was the last thing Jughead contributed to that conversation.

A few moments later Veronica came in, the bell on the door ringing in greeting. Jughead was the only one to look up and watch her as she walked to the table.

"What are we talking about?" she asked sitting down next to Archie.

"Soul marks." Jughead responded with a smirk. She didn't look at him. It was the first interaction between them in weeks.

"Oh my god Veronica! You're from New York City do you know anybody with a soulmark?" Betty asked excitedly.

"Yeah I do." She responded smiling.

"You have to tell us who. I mean no one in small towns like this get them." Jughead cringed at her words. If only she knew.

"Ju-... just some old friend from New York." Jughead looked at her then. He could tell she wanted to tell Betty all about her Soul mark, have fun girl talk about everything to do with it but she couldn't. He could see her die a little inside when she had to hide it.

Betty kept going on, pressing Veronica to tell her. Veronica never once cracked. She caught his eye and for some reason, he felt bad.

"Betty why don't you just leave it. She's obviously not gonna tell you so it's useless." He tried to sound nice but knew he didn't, not all the way.

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Thank **you for reading and I'm sorry this is a day late I totally forgot to post yesterday.**

 **Tell me if you like where this is going.**


	5. Chapter 5

Veronica wanted to scream. Scream out to the world for every wrong thing in her life. Yes, she was rich. Yes, she was popular. Yes she had nice things and good friends but she also had a criminal father, a mother who didn't do anything to stop him, she grew up raised by a nanny, never really getting the love or motherly and fatherly teaching that she needed, and a soulmate she hated and couldn't even tell her best friend about because it was her boyfriend. Her life was fucked and she couldn't do anything about

She sat in her bed listening to her mother scream. God knows what about but screams nonetheless. After what seemed like forever she couldn't take it anymore. She got out of bed and walked away. She walked right out of the Pembroke and into the cold night air still in her pajamas.

She walked for a good fifteen minutes before she knew where she was going. She knew because she could see it. The trailer park. She walked up to the door of the only one she knew somebody from and knocked.

Jughead opened the door looking oddly tired. The kind of tired you are when you just wake up. He was also in his pajamas, just like her, which did not consist of very much clothing. Not that hers did either but still.

"What the fuck Veronica why are you walking around outside in that you have to be freezing." He walked inside giving a motion to tell her to come in too.

"I really hadn't noticed actually." She responded and it wasn't even a lie.

"Well, your body certainly has you're covered in goosebumps." He wrapped a blanket around her before walking away. "Why are you even here?" She could tell he tried to sound mad and rude but he just sounded concerned.

"Nothing better to do." She smiled at him. Using his own words right at him. "No, I just didn't know where else to go. Drama at home and all that you know." She knew he did. She didn't know him very well but she knew he knew that well.

"You could have gone to Archie's." He said it half mindedly while obviously trying to find something.

"No, I couldn't have. He would think he needs to protect me from my own mother. He wouldn't get it." She followed him to where he was going. It was a small trailer so she didn't have to walk far.

Just as she had made it into his 'living room' he popped around with a huge smile. "Wanna watch a movie? Kill the time?" She just sat on the couch as confirmation.

He put in the disc and joined her. The movie began to play and it was some old movie Veronica had seen a million times. She had no idea he would even own it let alone watch it willingly.

"You like old movies?" It wasn't snarky or rude it was just a question calm and sincere.

"Uhh yeah love 'em. Why? You want something else?" he asked slightly hesitant.

"Oh no, I love this movie. I could recite it in my sleep." She sounded a little cocky but cocky in a good way.

Halfway through the movie, they were laughing hysterically at Veronica trying to do the impressions of the characters. She knew all the lines just like she'd said but her voices were so bad it was beyond comical.

As she started a new impersonation the door to the trailer opened and FP walked through the doors.

"Hey Betty what are you doing-" he turned to face the living room. "...you're not Betty I'm so sorry. Who's your friend Jug?" he asked with a quirk in his brow.

"This is Ver-"

"Veronica Lodge nice to meet you, sir." Veronica stood up and walked over to FP with her hand out to shake. Very New York of her. Always gotta be proper to adults and people you don't know.

As soon as she said her name the look on FP's face said it all. He knew.

"You two have fun. I'm going to bed goodnight Jug and nice to meet you Veronica." with that he walked down the hall and into a room.

"I should be going home." Veronica placed the blanket down on the couch trying to make her way to the door.

"Veronica as much as I hate you I'm not letting you walk home. It's almost two in the morning and it would be on me if you got murdered. We don't need another one of those on our hands. Well finish the movie and you can have the couch for the night. You can even leave before I get up." Jughead smiled at her. He made a good argument she really didn't wanna get murdered so she sat back down.

* * *

It had been three weeks since she showed up at his trailer. They became better friends realizing they had a lot more in common than dating each other's best friends and criminal fathers.

They hung out more when Betty and Archie decided to be the goody-goody small townsfolk who go home before sunset and get in bed by nine each night. Neither of them was ever cut out for that kind of life.

They got along and it didn't go unnoticed by the group. That's why it came as a shock to most the day they heard the screaming match between the two raven-haired teens. No one knew what about all they knew was it had to be broken up before things got violent.

"This ain't over Jones!" Veronica yelled over Archie who was dragging her out of the student lounge.

"Can't wait princess!" he fires back never turning around. Betty followed behind knowing better than to get physical like Archie did

"What the hell Jug? You and Veronica have been good lately what happened?" Betty asked sounding tired.

"She did. We don't get along I don't know why we tried in the first place. It was a stupid idea." He yelled it, not at Betty just in general.

"Jug…"

"No, forget it. It's fine don't worry about it. We'll go back to hating each other and it'll be fine, good as new." with that he stormed off.

Betty found Archie by himself obviously left behind by Veronica.

* * *

In the silence, all she could hear were screams, his screams. 'I don't love you, Veronica, I don't even like you. Get over it.'

It started as an argument over some movie they both loved and within minutes ended with them both screaming their joint hatred for one another. She knew she shouldn't care about him not loving her, after all, she loved Archie, but she felt a knife going deeper and deeper into her chest every time she recited those words in her head.

She threw some jabs herself about her hatred for him but she was the only one who knew they were lies. She's good at that. Lies, that's all her life was at that point. What was worse, the only person she wanted to go to, to talk to, was the person she was mad at. He was beginning to ruin her life.

She went back to school the next day like nothing was wrong like her mind wasn't being ripped apart with every memory of that fight.

"Hey V." Betty appeared by her side as she walked down the hall. "We haven't seen each other or hung out in so long so I was thinking that we could hang today. Just us." Her smile was so wide and eyes so hopeful she couldn't say no.

"Of course B. When and where?" She looked at her best friend properly for the first time in weeks.

"I was thinking Pop's after school. We could just talk and catch up. I feel like I don't know what's going on in your life anymore." Veronica's only thought was 'you wouldn't want to know the truth'

"Great see you then." She walked off with a smile into the classroom thankful for time to think about how to not talk about Jughead, the person that took up most of her time for the past couple of weeks.

* * *

Jughead sat at his desk brooding as he normally does when Archie approached him.

"Pop's. Today. You're coming." Archie leaned his hands on the desk as he spoke. "and before you say anything you don't get to say no." Jughead just looked at him.

"you buying?" he asked bluntly.

"If it gets you there then yeah. I'll buy you whatever you want… within reason!" Jughead laughed at the last part. Everyone knows he can't say no to free food. Jughead nodded his head and Archie walked off back to his football buddies he's been spending more and more time with.

Jughead couldn't think why Archie wanted him to go so bad and for a brief second worried he'd have to deal with the football guys but that was squashed when he overheard their plans.

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 **Well, shit sorry for the hope then the back peddle so fast oh well.**


	6. Chapter 6

Veronica sat in the booth at pops barely hearing Betty's story about something she did with Kevin. Betty laughed with her story but Veronica didn't even hear it. She was staring at the table, using her tongue to play with the straw in her milkshake when something at the door caught her eye. Midnight hair and a leather jacket. She watched him walk in, never taking her eyes off until he stopped. The worst part, she didn't even notice the man following, her boyfriend.

Betty must have noticed her staring because before she knew what was happening they were at the table. Everything felt so familiar to that first night but also so damn different. That first night she didn't have that knowledge weighing on her every bone.

Jughead didn't sit next to her to both her relief and disappointment. He sat across from her neither one looking at the other.

They all were talking, Jughead making the least amount of comments, about anything and everything.

Veronica just started to zone out again when she heard her name in that sickly sweet voice only Betty Cooper possessed.

"Veronica you had to have some great restaurants back in New York City. Better than this I bet." Betty's smile was so wide Veronica thought she might burst.

"Well, it's definitely no Le Bernardin or Per Se. Those were a bit of a trek but so worth it." She got this look in her eye that just showed how much she missed New York City. She snapped out of it quickly though. "But you guys know I love this place it's got that charm no place in New York ever had."

Jughead laughed. Not a real laugh, more of a condescending huff. "Oh My God" He whispered it but everyone still heard it.

"What's so funny, Jones?" Veronica looked at him for the first time since she walked in. She crossed up her arms and turned to face him straight on.

"Why does no one else get to see the fun and nice Veronica I got to see weeks ago? I mean I'd take her over the New York socialite any day. Come on princess step down from your throne and join us normal folk for an afternoon." She knew he was trying to sound rude and intimidating but all she could think about was how he liked the secret Veronica she doesn't show to most. She couldn't let him know that though.

"I'll have you know-" she was cut off by Betty who sounded highly concerned.

"When did you get to see this 'other Veronica', Jug?." Oops. Betty didn't sound concerned she sounded jealous.

"Look I had to get away from my family for a little so-"

"So you went to Jughead?" it wasn't quite a yell but it was louder than normal conversation.

"No, I was just out walking and happened to go by the trailer park. It was cold so I stopped by to ask to warm up a little before heading home again. He wouldn't let me, saying something about me getting murdered and him going to jail so I stayed. B, it's not that big a deal." Veronica lied. That's not how it happened. It was a big deal. It started this chain reaction of her starting to care about Jughead and actually liking him as a person.

"Sorry I sounded crazy. I don't know why I got that way." She apologized

Archie was silent through the whole thing, either not caring or just not knowing what to say.

More talking and more laughs filled the diner until Betty and Archie decided to go be good small townsfolk and go home, leaving Veronica and Jughead alone together. Neither one left just awkwardly sitting together in silence.

After a while, Veronica decided to speak up. "So you like the Veronica you saw at your trailer that night?" She sounded shy for the first time ever.

Without even looking away from whatever it was he was staring at he responded flatly. "Better than the one everyone else gets to see."

"What's your problem Jughead. You can't even pretend to be nice for me. Your soulmate ?"

He turned to her sharply. "You, are not my soulmate. I don't care what my damn hip says." She wanted to scream.

"We're soulmates okay!? We're destined by God, the universe, what, or whoever to be together till death do us part and honestly, death is looking more appealing right now…" She was careful not to attract too much attention in such a public place.

"Okay..." He looked up at her through his lashes. "...Sorry" He was quiet and genuine.

She just smiled into her straw. They sat in silence for a while just finishing their food and shakes (or coffee). Eventually, Veronica got a text telling her to go home.

She bid him farewell and they both stood up together. They walked out, side by side. It all felt so natural for the both of them until they hit the sidewalk to part ways. Veronica, out of habit kissed his cheek before walking away.

She realized what she had done after she turned around. But she didn't dwell on it, couldn't dwell on it, so she just kept walking. Jughead couldn't do the same. His skin burned where her lips touched. He just stood in the same spot watching her walk away and didn't move again until she turned the corner out of sight.

* * *

 **Well... Yeah...**  
 **Some progress? Maybe? Who knows...**  
 **Just enjoy this pretty late chapter.**  
 **Sorry about that, college man its busy sometimes.**


	7. Chapter 7

She wanted so bad to understand why she did it but she just couldn't. All she knew was it felt right. Kissing him even if it wasn't real, felt right. She was starting to have real feelings for him and it scared her.

 _Archie Archie Archie._ She kept repeating. _I love Archie._ She kept having to remind herself.

Even with all the chanting everytime, she closed her eyes all she saw was herself kissing Jughead. _Really_ kissing Jughead. She decided then and there she needed to see Archie, get her mind off Jughead.

She had spent the whole day with Archie listening to him talk and talk. He'd eventually told her about what Betty said that day she walked in on them talking about soulmarks and tried really hard not to laugh. She listened to him talk to her about how he was happy she wasn't being so distant anymore. That hurt her. She never realized what she was doing to Archie. She never realized her stepping back to figure things out would hurt Archie just as much. She'd bet anything Betty felt the same way.

She repeated the same day again with Betty the day after Archie. Same talks of soulmarks and distance. She just felt numb to it the second time around.

The rest of the week went by smoothly. Jughead and Veronica were civil when put in the same situation, and Betty and Archie were happy their friends and significant others were being much less distant. All in all, it was a good week.

When Friday came rolling around Veronica sat home alone and bored. Betty and Archie were doing some stupid town thing together. Veronica didn't even know what it was let alone wanna participate.

Veronica decided to call Jughead. She kept justifying to herself by saying she was bored and Archie was busy. She repeated it over and over as she dialed his number.

He picked up on the first ring. "Hey, Jughead I have pizza, old movies, and boredom to cure. You wanna come over?" she tried to sound confident. She wasn't sure if it passed on.

After a moment of silence, presumably from him thinking, he replied. "Yeah sure. Be there in twenty, Princess." With that, he hung up.

 _Princess_.

She was over thinking it but it made her heart flutter and her mind race.

 _Princess_

She stood in the same spot, over thinking, until the food showed up. She spent a couple minutes tidying up before getting ready herself. Not much, just a brush through the hair and a brush of the teeth was needed. She had already taken off all her makeup but found herself not caring if he saw her without it. That was new for her.

Just as she was walking back out of the bathroom Jughead rang the bell. Perfect timing.

She opened it with a huge grin.

"Perfect timing Jones, I just finished getting everything ready." She swept her arm out gesturing for him to come in. He did so heading straight for the food.

With a mouth full of food he replied. "So what exactly are we doing?"

"Well I was planning on the movie but if you prefer we can do something else…" She was apprehensive.

"Movie it is." He said putting a second slice in his mouth.

Things weren't as easy as they were that first night. The first night Veronica didn't have crazy feelings running around her mind. She was hyper-aware of every movement, every noise, and it was nerve-racking. But at the same time, just his presence calmed her. It was a crazy thing to try and balance.

When the movie ended Jughead talked for the first time since it started. "Why aren't you with Archie?" It caught her by surprise. She assumed he'd talk about the movie, neutral ground not her fucking boyfriend.

"He's at that stupid town thing with Betty remember? She would have mentioned it." She responded quickly.

"She just told me she was busy and i didn't think it was my business to know with what if she didn't want me to know." He gave her a smirk saying he had won the game she didn't even know she was playing until it was over.

"So how are you and Betty anyway?" She didn't really care, in fact, she didn't even wanna know if it was anything positive.

"Not as good as you an Archie, I mean come on you're no longer distant. You might need to slow it down a bit princess you might get more serious than you want." He was laughing to himself but she found no amusement.

"Oh come on Jughead. What do you want me to do? You don't want to be with me but it's like you don't want anyone else to be with me either."

"That's not- just no"

"Bullshit! I see you. I see you when I'm with Archie and you are with Betty. The way you look at him when he puts his arm around me or holds my hand or touches my arm. But the worst is when he looks at me. When he looked at me like I'm his whole world. You get so mad-"

"I'm done!" He turned to walk away.

"Jug stop!" She grabbed his arm turning him around. "I know you. I see you." She used all the strength she had to pull him to her, colliding her lips onto his.

For a moment she finally understood what all those movies were about. The scene in every romance movie ever where they kiss, and the camera goes in a circle around them, fake sparks or lights or something magical goes bursting around them. She felt it, the world spinning, the lights bursting. She loved it.

He kissed back, which surprised her the most. She thought never in a million years he'd kiss her back but she was so joyfully wrong. Instead of running away and never speaking to her again he held on. His hand found their way to her lower back moving closer to her ass every second while hers played with his uncharacteristically uncovered hair. She loved it, every second of it.

He grabbed the back of her thighs lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around him in response. He carried her to the closest flat surface which also happened to be the couch. A small sound escaped her when he set her down giving him a chill.

Before she knew it all of their clothes were strewn around her living room. She didn't have very good aim when she was trying, so getting them consolidated was impossible when she was so distracted. She didn't mind in the slightest though.

A long while later he left without a word haphazardly throwing on his clothes and moving faster than she thought he would.

* * *

 **Welp, there you go enjoy...**


	8. Chapter 8

**So if you guys didn't know I have been posting this on my AO3 and Wattpad accounts and a reader on Wattpad gave me an amazing idea for the rest of this story but because I already have so much written passed the point that's posted I decided that I am going to post the new idea on Wattpad but keep this story lie the same. So if you want to check it out head on over everything is the same name :)**

* * *

All weekend her mind had time to fester. Every thought was either _omg I need more_ or _omg I cheated on Archie, I'm a horrible person._ There was no grey area. That's why when Monday came and she had to walk through the doors of the high school she almost lost it. She didn't know what to do or how to act.

Jughead would be her biggest obstacle. She had slept with him and she didn't know what he would do. She knew he loved Betty so she hoped he wouldn't say anything.

She thought all she could do was find her friends and pretend she was normal. She headed straight to the student lounge because they were either there or class. It was like they never fucking left the lounge.

She walked through the door seeing something she'd seen a million times before but somehow now made her wanna puke. Jughead was holding Betty the same way he held _her_ just a few days before, kissing Betty just as passionately as he had _her_. At least she knew he wouldn't be telling anyone. To make it worse he had the audacity to look at her, make eye contact that seemed to stop everything around, all the while kissing his girlfriend. It was like her heart fell out of her chest and went rolling on the floor.

She ran, she ran right out of the room rushing passed all the people she didn't wanna see. She made it to the bathroom without anyone stopping her and just hid in a stall composing herself. She stayed in there until the bell rang for class. So much for being normal.

She walked into class late. The teacher hadn't started yet just getting there as well. As she walked to her seat at the back of the class she caught Jughead's eye. It was a huge mistake. He gave her a cocky smirk knowing full well why she was late. He was taunting her. She found herself liking the smirk in ways she shouldn't. She found herself _wanting him_ in ways she shouldn't. She was screwed physically and metaphorically.

The day went by in a blur. She spent most of it trying to get Jughead out of her head and trying not to run into any of her friends more than necessary.

She did actually spend lunch with her friends. She sat next to Archie listening to all his drama. It was nothing compared to what was going through her head. Jughead sat opposite her making it impossible for her to look straight. She could tell neither one of them were really in the conversation.

When she had class with Betty they talked like all friends do. Thank god Betty cared more about her education than gossip. She was not in the mood.

By the time she got home, she was actually proud of herself. Besides the lounge incident, she had been normal. Or at least normal enough for no one to question it.

The house was quiet, void of all other family. Probably out doing some criminal business Veronica wanted no part in. She immediately went to her room to change so she could do her homework comfortably. Sweats and a tank were her go to lounging attire.

She sat at her dining room table comfortably doing homework when her bell rang. She didn't even bother to take off her glasses as she headed to the door. Through the peephole, she could make out a leather jacket and grey beanie.

She opened it angrily. "What do you want, Jones?"

He looked her up and down never having seen her in something so informal, glasses to match. He grinned slightly at her. "Cute." He said not _to_ her but _at_ her. He let himself in pushing past her and into the living room.

She turned closing the door with her. "Ok welcome I guess. Why are you here?" She walked to him, sitting on the couch next to him.

"Can't I just hang out with a friend?" He said mock hurt.

"Yeah but last I remembered you told me you hated me. Or was that just a joke?" She gave a bit of bite back. He didn't respond so she decided to just turn on the T.V. to occupy the silence.

They sat and watched talking about random things here and there. Eventually, they fell into an easy rhythm not even noticing the show playing.

"Have you noticed how many problems Archie thinks he has lately? I mean come on man there is more pressing matters than… oh God, I'm babbling sorry. You probably hear enough shit from Archie." She began to rant but stopped when she realized she wanted to tell Jughead about all the things going through _her_ head.

"Then why do you stay with him? I mean I saw you guys at lunch today and all I saw was a girl who wanted nothing more than to get up and leave." He shifted slightly to look her more head-on.

"I love him." It sounded like more of a question and even she heard it.

"As you said to me, Bullshit. I know full well that's not why." He was right.

"I uh… God, I can't believe I'm about to tell you this... I'm afraid to let go of him because I know if I do I'm going to fall farther into you." She couldn't even look up at him.

He moved in closer crowding her with his arms. "Who says that's a bad thing?" His lips brushed hers but never connected like she so desperately wanted.

A few breaths came and went before she broke and moved her lips that millimeter closer to his. She didn't think much of the fact that she was the first to initiate both kisses. All she thought about was how good it felt.

Before she could really fully process what was happening her tank was being ripped off over her head and thrown to the floor. It was the first time she realized she wasn't wearing a bra since he showed up. She got to work fast slipping his jacket off his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor. His hands roamed her body while she tried to peel off his shirt. Eventually, he lifted his arms helping her out.

She marveled in the sight that was Jughead Jones. With the way his pants were riding low on his hips she could see the top of his mark. Seeing it helped her justify what she was doing. Seeing his made her realize that hers was on full display for him and she hoped it had a similar effect on him.

It wasn't too long later, when moans filled the apartment, that Veronica prayed her parents wouldn't come home.

She awoke the next morning feeling a mix of content and guilt. She loved everything that happened the night before but also hated to do something so bad to Betty and Archie. But hey what they don't know can't hurt them.

Betty had found her in the lounge during lunch. She didn't feel like spending it with Jughead after what happened.

"What's up with you today? Is everything okay?" Betty really cared which is what made it so much harder for Veronica to tell her.

"Nothing." Short, simple, but Betty didn't believe any of it. Veronica sure as hell didn't believe any of it.

"Veronica please tell me what's going on." God did Veronica want to tell Betty everything but she knew she couldn't hurt her best friend that way.

"I feel like I'm drowning. I can't breathe and there's nothing I can do but suck in more water" Just before Betty was about to ask more questions the boys walked in. It was as if Veronica had some chip in her head that beeped to tell her when her soulmate was within a five-mile radius. She made eye contact with Jughead before standing up abruptly.

"I have to go." With that, she ran out of the room almost running into the door.

Veronica didn't even finish the class, just went home to an empty house. She had been in that house, alone, wallowing in her own self-pity all night so why not continue. She had fucked her boyfriends best friend and her best friends boyfriend. She felt like a complete bitch.

She laid on the couch just staring at the ceiling blankly for hours. A loud knock on her door took her out of her trance. Angrily she walked to the door.

"Go away J- Oh my god Betty, sorry what are you doing here?" Veronica asked.

"You left so abruptly after throwing a bomb I just wanted to make sure you were ok." Classic Betty. A normal person would hear that and leave her alone.

Veronica moved aside to let Betty through. She followed Betty to the couch. Betty looked at her worryingly but also kinda like how a psychiatrist would look at you when he knows everything about you but you haven't met him before.

"Veronic please be honest, don't lie to me, what's wrong?" She was panicking.

She didn't know what to say, all she could think of was "I have a soulmate." The moment it fell out of her mouth she regretted it but what was she supposed to do?

"You WHAT? OH MY GOD, how could you not tell me before? Is it Archie? I knew it, I told him-"

"Betty! It- it's not Archie and I feel bad about it but you CAN'T tell him! Okay?" Betty nodded. "You have to promise me, Betty Cooper." Veronica was stern, putting out her and for Betty to shake. Betty took it.

"Tell me all about it!"

* * *

 **So if you guys didn't know I have been posting this on my AO3 and Wattpad accounts and a reader on Wattpad gave me an amazing idea for the rest of this story but because I already have so much written passed the point that's posted I decided that I am going to post the new idea on Wattpad but keep this story lie the same. So if you want to check it out head on over everything is the same name :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Reminders and self-promo ahead!**

 **Don forget there is an alternate storyline on Wattpad.**

 **ALSO if you like this you should check out my other Jeronica stories "I'm sorry" and "Bliss"**

* * *

The next morning she awoke refreshed. Telling Betty "everything" made her feel like she could handle her friends. She hadn't even gotten to her locker before Jughead was dragging her into an empty classroom. The same one they were in the day she found out.

"You told Betty!?" He didn't let go of her arm while he talked.

"I told her not to tell anyone!"

"No no, you told her not to tell Archie. Plus I'm her boyfriend, she tells me everything."

"Yeah… Well, I didn't tell her it was you if that's what you're worried about. I told her that I haven't met them yet and I don't want to show her because I'm dating Archie." Veronica was getting more mad by the second.

"Well, what if now that he knows about it she goes looking for it? My initials aren't very common if you hadn't noticed." Jughead seemed to be angry too.

"They're on my chest Betty won't see them!" She just wanted the argument to be over with.

"I've seen it..." Jughead said like it meant something at all.

"Yeah well, I'm not having sex with Betty… that's your job." There was resentment in her words.

"You do know that's illegal right?" he said it with a slight chuckle. She couldn't help but give her own giggle back. Damn, she was falling too hard to fast.

"You'd be a terrible prostitute." She said shaking her head slightly.

The bell rang bringing them out of their conversation. Jughead headed to the door first, Veronica following closely behind. Before he walked through the door he looked back at Veronica.

"For the record, I'd be a great prostitute and you know it." He walked off not letting her get in another word.

It was easy with Jughead. Even when they fought they ended up smiling. It actually put her in a better mood than she walked into school with. Betty assumed it was because of their talk the night before and Archie just hadn't realized anything had changed. It was nice for her to get back to normalcy.

It was nice to hang out with her friends again without wanting to hide away somewhere. She laughed with Jughead and didn't feel guilty because she wasn't worried about Betty getting suspicious. Archie was never a threat and she had vowed to never sleep with Jughead again.

That lasted all of three months.

She had called Jughead because she was having family drama and Jughead understood it, unlike her other friends. He had told her to come over because there was no one to pry and she could be away from her parents for a while. They had started talking about life and parents and the horrible soul marks they donned. Somehow she ended up naked, on his couch, covered in his warmth. They laid there for a while, intertwined in silence. Jughead was surprisingly the first to break the silence.

"I love you…" He looked at her "I love you with a fire that could boil the sea, princess. But I hate you with such an intensity that it could expand the core of the earth and kill us all… " He said it so quietly she barely heard his words. It burned in her core.

"I hate that I love you... but I love you all the same." She meant it.

She lifted her head off his chest and looked him in the eye. He smiled back at her. She pressed her lips to his and he kissed back. They were kissing, for real kissing, not a prelude to sex kissing, but real emotional kissing.

* * *

She had been texting Jughead all day. It wasn't about anything, in particular, she just liked talking to him. She was sitting at Pop's when she got a text from Jughead. He had told her to meet him outside. She did just that.

She smiled the moment he came into view leaning on the corner of the building, arms crossed. She missed his leather jacket and knew deep down he would look ten times hotter with it on. He made up for it by letting his hair be free in the crisp winter air. He pushed himself off the wall when he noticed her walking closer.

"Hey, handsome. I like the hair. Did you finally decide to ditch that dirt trap you call a hat?" She lifted an eyebrow accusingly but still maintained that playful feeling.

"As a matter of fact I did, but it's only for a day so don't get too attached. I know how you can be." His lips formed the smirk she loved.

"I guess I'll enjoy it while I can." She took the last step forward, running her fingers through his hair while her lips aligned with his.

He had her pushed against the side wall of Pop's when they heard familiar voices. Voices they heard daily.

"Oh my god! Archie. Is that Veronica?" Betty's voice drifted through the parking lot. They both looked to the side, into the parking lot at their significant others. Archie was stomping across at a faster pace than normal. Veronica looked back at Jughead.

"You need to go. I don't want you in trouble too. Betty will be so hurt." He kissed her one last time before running around to the back of Pop's. She took a deep breath with her head leaned against the wall. She could faintly hear Archie calling her name behind the pounding in her ears.

When she opened her eyes Archie was right next to her, Betty not far behind.

"Veronica, what the hell!? Why were you kissing him!?" Archie was screaming. Veronica said nothing.

"Who was it?" Betty asked in a quieter tone.

"No one." She couldn't look at them. She didn't feel like what she did was wrong, she just didn't want them to see that.

"How long?" He asked

"Not long…" Archie yelled at her some more but she had no idea what he said because she stopped listening. Eventually, he walked away and into Pop's. Betty followed soon after giving Veronica a pitying look. It wasn't that she felt bad about her getting yelled at and Veronica knew that, it was about her messing things up. Betty felt bad for her because she wasn't perfect like her. She knew the whole school would know by morning.

* * *

 **So I know some of you may think it's impossible that they wouldn't recognize Jughead but I'm going off the fact that he wasn't wearing his Serpent jacket or his crown beanie and that they were to far away to put it together.**

 **That being said I hope you enjoy :)**


	10. Chapter 10

She woke up the next morning preparing for the worst. She ignored all of Jugheads calls and text not wanting to make things worse. Walking into school being the center of attention for something bad was a whole different experience. It was worse than when people found out about her father.

Not a single person would even look at her. They parted like the red sea as she walked down the hall, not wanting to get near her. She made it to her locker without any human contact. The door was open blocking most of her view of the hallway. She felt someone lean on the locker behind the door. She was scared to move it and find out who it was. She didn't want a milkshake to the face or something like that.

"It'd be extremely rude as to not close the door so I can talk to you." Jugheads voice fluttered into her ears. A smile filled her face as she closed the door.

"Oh Jones, you know I don't ever want to be nice to you." She was dead set on ignoring him for the rest of her life but hearing his voice and seeing his beautiful face broke her wall. He played mock hurt with a hand on his heart. He pushed off the locker and followed her to class.

It was her first lunch with everyone mad at her, her first lunch alone, her first lunch without her best friends. Since day one they were always with her and now she can't even talk to them. She sat at a table in the corner all by herself hoping to keep all attention off of her. She didn't get what she wanted when her favorite leather-clad boy came up to her.

He didn't say anything, just leaned his hands on the table and stared at her in a way only Jughead could. It actually made her feel calm.

"How is being the new social pariah treating you? You have big shoes to fill what with me being… Ugh, social." he looked physically hurt to have to say that.

"Actually it's quite nice. I get to-" She stopped when she saw fiery red make its way behind Jughead.

Archie's hand was on Jughead's shoulder before she could say anything. Jughead turned around slowly like he was ready to fight someone. He looked at Archie who was obviously pissed.

"How could you still talk to her man? After everything she did." Archie was yelling and the room was getting quiet.

"You used to be the biggest womanizer before you started dating Veronica. Her kissing one guy isn't that bad. Especially since I know that if you had the chance you'd've cheated on her with Betty a long time ago." Jughead was the only one who said her name all day. It made her feel happy to have him.

"Whatever man do whatever you want. If you wanna hang out with this slut go right ahead." Archie didn't even look at her as he spoke. She had had enough. She slammed her fist on the table as she stood up out of her seat.

"Well, I'm sorry you're not good enough. Maybe if you had been good at well, anything, I wouldn't have felt the need to cheat on you. Now move Andrews." She pushed passed Archie seething. Maybe what she said was harsh but he deserved it.

She made it into the empty hallway before she felt the tears welling in her eyes. She leaned against the lockers trying to steady her heart. She heard footsteps coming her way. She wiped her face before pushing off the lockers. Jughead turned the corner with a smile wider than she'd ever seen on him. He walked straight to her putting his palms on her cheeks.

"God I love you." He said it with a chuckle that made her heart melt. "I have wanted to yell at him for the longest time." Then right there, in the middle of the hallway, where anyone could see them, he kissed her. He kissed her so passionately it felt like it was their first kiss like she was the one he was dating, the one he was planning on spending the rest of his life with, not Betty. For the first time, she felt like real soulmates.

When they finally pulled back people began to flood out of the lunchroom. Jughead began to walk away but before he could Veronica grabbed his arm.

"For the record… I love you too." She said it with a small, content smile. She let go of his arm and they walked their separate ways.

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 **Don't forget about Wattpad :)**

 **My username is the same :)**


	11. Chapter 11

It had been weeks and Jughead was still the only one who would talk to Veronica. She missed Betty but didn't really care about everyone else still ignoring her. She had seen Betty around hanging out with Archie a lot. She figured it was because he was still upset about the kiss he'd seen and she didn't blame him. She'd be mad at herself too if she was on the other side.

Jughead had gotten increasingly distant to Betty as the days went by but they had yet to break up. Veronica thought it was wrong but didn't say anything. She was happy Jughead was talking to her at all after what had happened. Se really thought he would pick Betty over her. Why would he want the girl he has hated since day one?

Jughead and Veronica were alone in the lounge just hanging out like they do most days. There was a table in the corner with the chairs on either side of it. Everyone stayed away from the lounge when they're in there because most people were still uncomfortable being around her. They didn't care though because they got to talk about things, like soulmarks, that they couldn't talk about with others around. They leaned out of the chairs so close to one another they were practically touching noses. They were in the middle of arguing over a book that they both loved when Betty walked through the doorway. As soon as the blond was visible Veronica went silent leaning back into the chair, trying to hide as much as she could.

"Hey, Juggy!" Betty's chipper voice made Jughead turn around. Betty was practically skipping over in her perfect pastel sweater and matching flats. Veronica felt a mix of jealousy and longing. She missed her best friend but she hated that Betty got to be Jughead's girlfriend and do girlfriend things with him. Betty got to walk around with him on her arm, Betty got to be with him in public, and Betty got to all the things she couldn't and then some.

"Hey Betty, what up?" It didn't pass over Veronica that he didn't use a pet name as he did with her, he didn't look at her, and he didn't sound the least bit interested. It made something in Veronica light up. She felt this fire bubbling behind the letters.

"Oh, nothing. Umm, I just kinda wanted to talk to Veronica, alone, if that's okay?" Jughead and Veronica made eye contact. His eyes told her to go for it while hers just showed fear and panic. Not giving her a choice he stood up.

"Of course. See you later." He put his hand on Betty's shoulder as he left. Behind Betty's back, he looked at Veronica and just smiled. For some strange reason, it gave her confidence. Scratch that it wasn't a strange reason, she loved him, it's the only reason.

"I know this may be weird since I haven't talked to you in weeks but it's been bothering me… Are you still seeing him? The guy from Pop's I mean." Betty asked as soon as Jughead was out of sight.

"Yes… and I don't care what you say. It's my choice" She didn't want to hurt Betty but she wanted to protect herself.

"I'm sorry Veronica I miss you but cheating is wrong and it hurt my best friend. I can't be friends with a cheater." Betty put her hand on Veronica's arm in a way a mother would her daughter when she wanted to say something bad but she still loved them. Veronica wanted to hug her and punch her at the same time. "That's why I'm glad Juggy would never cheat on me," Betty said with a smile.

"If only you know your little Juggy as well as I did," Veronica whispered. Betty wasn't meant to hear.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Betty sounded defeated at first but got defensive real fast.

"You really wanna know who I was cheating with? Huh? It was your precious Juggy…" Veronica yelled, so tired of hiding it for so long.

"I don't believe you! You're lying!"

Veronica opted to not say anything but instead pull her shirt up to reveal her lettering. Veronica felt more exposed showing off her Mark than the ever did when she was sleeping with Archie and Jughead. Betty just stared emotionless.

"Believe me now?" She didn't yell that time. "Look I'm sorry I never wanted to hurt you and- and neither did Jug but-" She was cut off by Betty.

"No, just don't. Don't talk to me EVER again." Tears fell from her eyes as she walked away leaving Veronica alone.

As soon as Veronica got her bearings back she texted Jughead. She needed to tell him before Betty did.

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 **Oops, kinda short. Oops, not gonna worry about it. hope you enjoy none the less.**

 **PS sorry about it being a day late what you gonna do?**


	12. Chapter 12

"What's so important, Princess?" Jughead came sontering over completely unaware at the life changing bomb Veronica was about to drop.

"I just wanted to tell you before Betty did." He looked at her worried. She was shaking slightly with her nerves. "Betty knows." She didn't need to explain more, he knew what she meant.

"Well at least I won't have to break up with her myself." He chuckled. "I should go find her." He turned from Veronica.

She reached out for his arm. "Jug wait!" He turned to her. "I'm sorry…" he gave a small smile and left.

She was going to go to class but on her way there she heard Betty's voice, Jugheads mingling in. She couldn't bring herself to walk any further. Jughead talked Betty out of anger. The way Jughead was with words made Veronica feel all sorts of ways about Jughead. Eventually she heard Betty whisper a defeated "Just leave." She heard boots clicking across the floor and readied herself to talk to Jughead.

He walked out of the classroom, putting an arm around Veronica, never missing a beat as he walked down the hall. She looked up at him. "You know the whole school is going to know by tomorrow right? What with Archies big mouth and Bettys inability to keep anything from him."

"Do we really care?" He finally looked back at her. She had no idea.

Veronica walked into school the next day expecting whispers and side glances from her fellow classmates. She got none. She made it all the way to her locker and still no one was acting any different.

"Does everything seem too normal to you?" Jughead asked leaning next to her locker like he had done every morning since people began to hate her.

"I was gonna ask you the same-" She was cut off by Archies scream cutting through the quiet of the hallway.

"Hey Jones!" Jughead turned around to see a seething Archie coming at him. Before he knew what was happening Archie's fist knocked Jughead back into the lockers. Blood fell from Jugheads nose and onto the white tiles bellow.

"What the hell man?" Jughead asked once he lifted his head up and wiped the blood off his face.

"That's for cheating on my best friend with _my_ girlfriend." Archie was still yelling and more people were beginning to gather around. Reggie and some of the other bulldogs were behind Archie backing him up

"Oh that." Jughead sounded indifferent. Veronica gave him a warning glance but he just looked at her as if so say _don't worry I got this._ She knew he did not have it in the slightest. She feared for Jugheads well being. Archie had all the bulldogs on his side. Jughead had Veronica, it wasn't very fair odds.

"You're gonna pay for what you did." Archie took a step forward but Jughead stood his ground, folding his arms, letting the blood continue to drip.

"And what, pray tell, did I do? Do you even know what I did?" Archie dropped his fist slightly at his words.

"What?" Archie was quiet.

"I mean what exactly did Betty tell you about the situation?" When Archie didn't immediately respond Jughead continued. "Well I know for certain you didn't hear anything from Veronica or I so how accurate is your information really? How much can you really know?" Archie didn't respond with words just his fist, knocking Jughead into Veronica. She knew he'd have a black eye and maybe a broken nose from earlier.

Archie turned to leave as Veronica grab a hold of Jugheads face. "Are you okay?" He nodded, smiling. She let go of him and stalked towards the direction Archie walked.

"Hey Andrews!" Jughead pushed off the locker and took a few steps forward staying close to Veronica, not knowing what she was about to do. "Fuck you!" She took a swing of her own sending Archie to the floor in the middle of the crowded hallway.

Jughead went running to her side. He grabbed her arms and pushed her back practically dragging her down the hall. "Stay away from us you asshole!" She screamed down the hall at the remaining Bulldogs who were helping Archie off the floor.

"Holy shit, Princess. That was fucking badass." She smiled up at him as they walked down the hall side by side. "Have I told you I love you?" It was meant to be a rhetorical question but she answered any way. "Always Jones."

They didn't stay in school much longer, just walked out and headed to nowhere.

"Where exactly are we going?" Veronica asked when it seemed there was no plan.

"You'll see, Princess. Just wait." He started walking backwards a he spoke. Veronica took the opportunity to push at his chest, subsequently making Jughead stumble backwards. She let out a small laugh before helping him stay steady.

"What was that for!?" He screamed confused.

"Lodges don't wait for anything, especially men." She smirked. "Plus it was just fun." He smiled back at her.

Soon enough they got to a place Veronica knew. Sweetwater river. She remembered having to go there when she first arrived in town. She remembered the body. She remembered Jughead talking photos and she could have sworn he took a few of her exclusively. She couldn't help but think about how beautiful it was now, with memories of the death fleeting. People still remember Jason, still mourn him, but Sweetwater river was no longer seen as a grave sight. People began to move on.

They sat together for a longtime just looking at the trees and listening to the water. The snow had since melted leaving the trees bare and the ice thawed on the lake taking the memory of Cheryl's incident with it. Things in Riverdale were so fucked up but it was the best she'd felt in a long while. Veronica looked to Jughead, he looked more peaceful than he had since, well, since she had met him.

"Hey Jug, do you still have those pictures?" She whispered.

"Yeah" He said as he turned to her. He knew exactly what pictures she meant. There was only one set she could mean.

"Can I see them?" She asked hesitantly

"Of course princess" He smiled at her before reaching over and kissed her with her chin in his hands.

They lay together for a long while on the grass. No one around to disrupt them, no noise to distract them, just quiet bliss.


	13. Chapter 13

Veronica walked through the halls of Riverdale high, forced to be alone and worried. When Jughead texted her this morning saying he'd be late to because of some Serpent business he needed to take care of, something didn't feel right. He never talked to her about the serpents. Probably some residual habit from being with Betty and Archie all the time. In all honesty, Veronica couldn't care less about his Serpent dealings. She actually admired him for it. Family, unity, leadership, it was something she dreamed of her whole life.

As she walked to her locker after the first period she exchanged pleasant smiles with Kevin. He did not actively avoid her, but he also didn't actively try and talk to her either. It was the closest she had to a friend. She opened her locker staring at her phone screen waiting for it to ring. Jughead said he'd be back before the first period ended but there was still no sign of him. Her anxiety began creeping up in her throat.

She stared at the doors behind her locker waiting for her leather-clad boyfriend to walk through the doors. She stared until she heard a voice beside her.

"Earth to Lodge," Archie called. She turned her head to look at him with a sneer.

"I was just gonna ask where your gang banger boyfriend was." He laughed. A few others had turned around to watch the scene inevitably about to unfold. Veronica wanted to punch the smirk right off his face but before she could do anything pain spread through her entire body.

She held onto her locker like it was the only thing holding her together. She couldn't breathe, her head felt like it was being split open, and her whole body was on fire. She screamed in agony as her fellow classmates just looked on and Archie began to laugh. After a moment she felt someone grab her waist and help her down the hall in the way she thought the nurse was. She couldn't open her eyes fearing her head may burst.

"Ronnie, are you okay?" Kevin's voice was a relief to Veronica. She thanked everything that he was there.

Kevin continued to walk her down the hall and through a door. She heard a woman's voice and Kevin responded quickly to everything. Veronica wasn't really paying attention, she was too busy trying to forget about the pain running through her body. Eventually, the nurse stopped talking to Kevin and began to examine Veronica asking too many questions. Veronica responded as best she could. By the end of the examination, Veronica felt that she could open her eyes again. The nurse was young and pretty with gentle features; not something you'd expect in Riverdale.

"Well Veronica, by all accounts you're fine. I can't find anything wrong. I suggest you go to the hospital and see a real doctor because there is only so much I can do for you here. You guys should head over now and I'll call to let them know you're coming." She said with a smile while walking to pick up the phone. "Good luck, Veronica."

Veronica was about to tell Kevin he didn't need to help her to the hospital, that she'd call a cab or something, but he kept walking her right along to his car telling her she would be fine. She wanted to believe him.

By the time she got to the hospital, she was feeling much better. The burning was gone and her chest felt much more free. She had a lingering headache but that was all that was left. The hospital was already ready for her when she arrived. She got taken to a room right away. She passed about ten empty rooms in silence. The hospital seemed void of people.

She sat through dozens of tests in the room before they took her to get x-rays. She sat in front of the camera staying as still as she could, letting her mind wander. It wandered back to Jughead and how much she wanted him to be okay. With what had happened already she wasn't so sure that was the case. Something seemed wrong. She was brought back to her room where Kevin stayed waiting. She was so glad he was there.

Not much after Veronica was brought back to her room did someone come back in with her X-rays. The first thing said was "Do you have a soulmark Veronica?" Veronica just looked at them in astonishment for a second.

"Yeah, I do why? Does it have to do with what happened to me?" She asked terrified of the answer.

"We don't believe so but it showed up on the X-rays and we don't have very many other people with soulmarks around here. Only one in fact. We were just surprised to see it that's all." Veronica rolled her eyes slightly.

"Yeah, I know. Jughead Jones, my soulmate." Her words had a slightly harsh tone to them. She had already gotten so much shit about her soulmark and she didn't want more from her doctor. She just wanted to know what was wrong with her. "So what's wrong with me?" Her words were much more worried this time.

Before the doctor could say anything there was a loud bang in the hall like the doors had slammed against the wall. When the doctor opened the door to find out what happened Veronica could hear yelling. Most of it was random numbers or medical terms she couldn't understand but one thing stood out like it was written in the air.

"Mr. Jones we need you to stay in the waiting room. When he is stable enough we'll let you back I promise." Veronica's heart dropped. She felt like she was going to throw up. Kevin noticed her state and went to find out what happened for her. Veronica was left alone in her hospital room to worry about her soulmate.

There was a lot of hustling outside of her door. She could hear running and prayed they were fast enough. Kevin returned to her after about ten minutes with a somber expression on his face.

"So I talked to FP." Veronica just nodded because there was nothing else she could do. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"I need to Kev." He gave a small nod and took a deep breath.

"So I'm assuming you knew about his meetings with the Ghoulies this morning considering your state before the whole incident. Well, it wasn't a sanctioned meeting with the serpents; it was a rouge mission Jughead went on by himself. The only people who knew were Toni, Sweetpea, and Fangs. When he didn't return when he was supposed to they told FP. They uh- They tried to kill him, Ronnie. They tried to beat him to death and when FP found him he was unconscious but breathing. He's still alive There is still hope." Veronica couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

The burning feeling began to come back in her limbs and her fingers went numb. Kevin went to her side putting his arm around her but she couldn't feel it through the fire. The doctor walked back in not a second later. Veronica could tell she tried to look happy but failed.

"Miss Lodge, we believe we know what happened to you." Veronica knew where she was going with it. "We believe that your body was trying to tell you that something bad was happening to Mr. Jones. Some kind of soulbonding for lack of a better term." Veronica knew it the moment she found out it was Jughead in the next room over.

* * *

 **Sorry for the late post ya'll!**

 **Finals week (You fellow college students will understand.)**

 **Don't forget about the second storyline on Wattpad :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Veronica spent the week in the hospital. She wasn't even there for herself after the first day. Betty and Archie came to visit Jughead on the third day after the school found out what happened. Even though most people at the school hated Jughead and Veronica Weatherbee still made an announcement and had a moment of silence for Jughead. It just made the rumors and teasing get worse.

Betty was out of breath when she came practically slamming through the door to Jugheads room. Archie hot on her tail.

"Oh My God! Is he okay?" She screamed.

"Does he look okay?" Veronica couldn't help but get angry at the concern Betty was now contributing. Veronica believed it to be fake and rightfully so.

"I'm sorry…" Betty whispered. Archie refused to even look at Veronica and really she didn't blame him but it still hurt. Betty looked at him though and they obviously had a conversation without words.

"What happened? We don't know anything." Betty asked probably for Archie since he still wasn't talking to Veronica unless to throw insults about her or Jughead

"Maybe if you were actually being good friends you would know," Veronica whispered under her breath. Archie finally looked at her. "Why do you guys even care? You hate both us for what we did so why does it matter to you?" Veronica didn't yell. She was too tired to yell.

"Jughead is still our friend he made a mistake. We still love him." Archie sounded a mix of mad and worried.

"You know his mistake was the same mistake I made and you both treat me like I'm evil incarnate. Not to mention just the other day you called him a gang banger." She whispered that last part. She had no idea if Betty knew about that and she really didn't want to cause any more drama than there already was.

"Jughead is different. He's been our friend since before kindergarten. That means something." Veronica rolled her eyes at his comment.

"He hasn't woken up yet." They just looked at her. "I'll uh- I'll call you when he does. He'd like to have you here." Veronica smiled a forced smile and they left. Again she was alone with an unconscious Jughead.

Veronica was asleep in the corner of the room when Jughead woke up. Jughead threw a pen left on his bedside table at her to wake her up.

"What was that for Jones?" She asked laughing.

"I needed to wake you and I can't really reach." Veronica was still half asleep as he talked not really paying attention to his words. Then it hit her.

"Ohh okay- Wait! Oh my God! You're awake! Finally!" She ran to his side, grabbing his hand as she spoke. "Let me go get the doctor." She said before she kissed him and ran out to find the doctor as soon as she could.

The doctor examined Jughead thoroughly and after hours of testing, they decided he could go home the next day. FP showed up as soon as he could but with Jughead hospitalized there was a lot to take care of in the Serpent world. He was there on and off for the past few days giving Veronica a break every once and a while even though she never wanted to leave his bedside.

"I should call Archie and Betty. I'll be right back." She pulled out her phone as she walked to the door, visibly upset at what she was about to do.

"Wait!" Jughead called. "Why would you call them? Last I knew they didn't like us." Veronica sighed. She didn't want this to happen. She wanted everything to be okay and back to normal but she knew that could never happen.

"They came by earlier this week to see you and I told them I'd call when you woke up." Veronica's voice was low and had an air of not caring.

"Why don't you wait a bit. I mean they don't have to know the exact minute I woke up, right?" Jughead was extremely convincing and it didn't take anything else to convince Veronica to put down the phone. "Plus I wanted to talk to you anyway." Veronica smiled and walked back to his bedside.

"And what is so urgent Mr. Jones?" They both laughed.

"I was thinking while they were testing me." He took a breath. It seemed to Veronica to be a nervous one. "What do you say about leaving this town? Get away from all its problems and drama and start a new life. Together. Somewhere far from here?" Veronica was dumbfounded. She had no idea what to say. She wanted it more than anything but it seemed too sudden.

"I- uh- Jug-" Jughead cut her off to her relief.

"I don't mean right this moment. Graduation is only a couple of months away but we could go after then. It would give us time to sort things out and get everything ready." They both stayed staring at one another silently. After what seemed like years Veronica spoke.

"I'd love to Jug." She gave him a warm smile that made its way through her whole body. She seemed truly happy for the first time in a long time.

 **Well damn its been a long time but I think there is one more chapter and its over... I'm so sorry about the long wait but thank you all for the reviews they are so sweet I love them :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey sorry, it's been like 6 months but I'm back with the end. I hope y'all like this short crappy ending :)**

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Jughead stayed in the trailer for the next two days to finish healing, Veronica never leaving his side. Archie and Betty visited once over those two days. Their visit lasted all of five minutes and just seemed like a way to clear their conscious from the awful treatment they gave him. Veronica did leave for that.

When Jughead was able to walk well enough on his own he went back to school. Watching the Southside Prince and Northside Princess strut down the halls happy as can be, despite the limp and busted lip, was a sight to see. People no longer gave a shit about them. They all figured if he could take a beating that bad the ones he gave out were probably worse and no one wanted to risk it.

Betty and Archie stayed away and didn't bother them. They were probably too wrapped up in their new life to care.

Jughead and Veronica spent their weeks with one another being the unofficial rulers of Riverdale High. No one messed with them and they didn't bother with others.

They spent all their free time trying to figure out what to do after graduation. Jughead was sitting in his trailer one night after school when Veronica threw open the door.

"Mail, Jones." Veronica tossed a letter at Jughead while holding onto one of her own.

"Are these what I think they are?" Jughead asked walking up to Veronica.

"Acceptance letters to Emerson? Open it and we'll find out." Veronica held her's close to her chest as she spoke.

"You know it doesn't matter what they say. We'll figure it out either way." Jughead put his hands on her hips. Veronica wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Of course." She kissed him before pulling away and ripping open the letter in one quick motion. "No turning back now." She smiled at him and motioned for him to open his.

Jughead ripped his open and pulled the paper out but didn't read it. He wanted Veronica to open hers. They read the contents at the same time. He knew Veronica's answer when she laughed. He looked at her face and her eyes were shining and her smile was so bright he wanted to watch her forever.

"I'm proud of you. I knew you could do it." Jughead smiled when Veronica lifted her eyes to meet Jugheads.

"Well? What about you?" Jughead glanced back down at the paper in his hands. He smiled up at Veronica.

"Looks like we're going to Emerson baby." Veronica dropped the letter to the tile floor and wrapped herself up in Jughead. He followed suit wrapping his arms around her waist.

Jughead grabbed the back of her thighs lifting her up onto the countertop beside them. Her back was pressed against the cabinets and Jughead was standing between her legs. Veronica threw her head back when he started kissing down her neck to give him a better angle.

Veronica ran her fingers under his shirt and up his torso feeling all of the hidden muscles underneath. Jughead leaned away ever so slightly to help Veronica peel his shirt off. Veronica could feel his fingers run up her spine as his shirt hit the ground.

As his left hand moved up her spine inching closer and closer to her bra strap his right hand was trailing up her thigh moving her skirt higher and higher. Veronica pushed him back to both of their displeasure so she could rip her shirt off and toss it in the general direction of his. She put one hand on the back of his head pulling him back into her.

Veronica ran her fingers through Jughead's hair. Jughead was rubbing patterns into her thigh causing her to moan. He pawed eagerly at her breasts with his other hand over her bra before eventually removing it all together tossing it lazily on the floor next their shirts. He couldn't help but marvel at them for a moment when they sprang free. Jughead traced his initials with his thumb loving the warm feeling it brought him. It didn't last long before his lips were on her again.

Veronica could feel the way Jughead liked seeing her mark and wanted that for herself. She ran her hand down his torso until she was at the waistband of his jeans. She used two fingers to tug at the material until she knew she would be able to see his mark. She felt the rough skin under the pads of her fingers and felt a shiver go through her body.

Jughead felt her shiver and decided he wanted it to continue. He ran his fingers farther up her thigh until he could feel the silk of her panties on his fingertips. He pressed the pad of his thumb onto the wet spot between her thighs. He could hear her gasp as she bit on his lip.

Veronica found the button on his jeans and popped it open. She pushed them down his legs as he rubbed circles into her with his thumb. Jughead knew what she wanted and stepped out of his jeans never letting go of Veronica.

Jughead hooked his fingers around Veronica's waistband and slowly slid her panties down her thighs. Veronica's eyes fluttered shut. "Jones…" She said breathlessly.

"Yes, Princess?" Jughead cocked a brow and ran his fingers back up her thigh.

"Please…" Veronica gasped. "Please…"

"Please what, baby?" Jughead took his hand away to make her unravel even more. He nipped at her neck stunting her response.

"Touch- touch me… Please… Jug…" Veronica breathed out.

"Oh, I don't know. I kinda like watching you squirm…" Jughead teased.

"Jughead…" Veronica cried.

Jughead put his lips back on her neck and brought his fingers to her entrance as per her request. She was so wet and tight that he moaned into her neck at the feeling.

"Jug..." Veronica whispered.

Jughead moved his fingers inside her slowly. He could feel Veronica move her legs ever so slightly wider for him. Veronica's head was leaning back on the cabinet a mix of Jugheads lips on her neck and his fingers inside her.

Jughead moved closer to her ear and whispered. "You look so beautiful like this. Princess."

"I'd look better if you'd hurry up." Veronica moved his head so she could kiss him again.

"Yes, ma'am," Jughead said on her lips. He thrust his fingers into her almost to the knuckles. He withdrew his fingers until just his fingertips were still inside her. He repeated it at a slow but even pace. He could listen to her forever. The sounds she made were perfection.

By the end Veronica's voice was hoarse, her skin was marked from her neck to her thighs, and she was completely content. They had migrated to Jughead's bedroom during their escapades and Veronica was curled up in Jughead's arms listening to his heartbeat as he slept. She couldn't wait to lay like that for the rest of her life.


End file.
